RF high power, two and three way in phase combiner and method

An isolated input, two port, in-phase RF power combiner comprising:

• first and second input terminals of significantly different input impedance;
• a transformer winding connected across said input terminals, said winding being tapped to provide first, second and third tightly coupled windings;
• first and second equal value resistors connected respectively across adjacent ones of said three windings;
• and,
• a load connected to the interconnection of two of said three windings.

An isolated input, two unequal port in-phase RF power combiner having a bandwidth of at least two octaves and the capacity for handling at least 5 kw of power comprising:

• first and second input terminals of significantly different impedance;
• a transformer winding connected across said input terminals, said winding being tapped to provide first, second and third tightly coupled windings of equal turns;
• first and second equal value resistors connected respectively across a first and a second pair of said three windings;
• and,
• a load connected to the interconnection of two of said three windings.

A two port, unequal input impedance, RF power combiner with the capacity for handling at least 5 kw of power without adversely affecting the isolation of the input ports comprising:

• two input ports of significantly differing impedance;
• a transformer connected between said two input ports having three series connected, closely coupled windings;
• and
• first and second impedance means connected respectively across adjacent pairs of said three windings.

A three equal impedance input port RF power combiner having significant isolation between the input ports comprising:

• first, second and third X-ohm input terminals;
• a two winding, center tapped transformer connected across said first and said second input terminals;
• a tightly coupled, three equal winding transformer connected between said third input terminal and the center tap of said two winding transformer;
• first and second 4/3X-ohm resistors connected respectively across adjacent pairs of the windings of said three winding transformer;
• a X-ohm load impedance:
• and
• a non-integer turns ratio transformer means for coupling the interconnection of two of the three windings of said three winding transformer to said load impedance.

A three port, equal input impedance, RF power combiner with the capacity for handling at least 5 kw of power without adversely affecting the isolation of the input ports comprising:

• three input ports of the same impedance;
• a first closely coupled center tapped transformer connected between two of said three input ports;
• a second closely coupled, three winding transformer connected between the third one of said input ports and the center tap of said first transformer;
• and
• a third non-integer turns ratio transformer connected to the interconnection of two of the windings of said second transformer.

A method of combining RF power from two ports of unequal input impedance with isolation between them comprising the steps of:

• a) providing two input terminals of Z1 and Z2 impedance respectively where Z1 differs significantly from Z2;
• b) applying an in-phase input signals of W1 and W2 power respectively to the two input terminals;
• and
• c) combining in a transformer the two input signals to provide a first signal of W1+W2 power at Z1/3 or Z2/3 impedance without adversely affecting the isolation between the two ports.

A method of combining RF power from three ports of equal input impedance with isolation between them comprising the steps of:

• a) providing three input terminals of Z impedance each;
• b) applying an in-phase input signals of W1, W2 and W3 power respectively to the three input terminals;
• c) combining in a first transformer two of the three input signals to provide a first signal of W1+W2 power at Z/2 impedance without adversely affecting the isolation between those two ports;
• and
• d) combining in a second and a third transformer the third input signal and the first signal to provide an output signal of W-1+W-2+W-3 power at Z impedance without adversely affecting the isolation of any one or more of the three ports.

The method of isolating each of the three input ports to a RF coupler comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying a RF input signal to two of the three input ports at opposite ends of a center tapped, tightly coupled winding paralleled by a resistor to provide a fourth signal;
• (b) applying a third RF input signal to the third input port and the fourth signal to opposite ends of three series connected, tightly coupled windings;
• and
• (c) providing shunts of equal resistive value across adjacent pairs of the three windings.